Melissa Good - Xena Sci-Fi 1 Partners By Melissa Good

The halls were very quiet. Jess was glad, not wanting to run into a hundred people all asking her questions. She hadn’t decided yet what to tell anyone, so it was good to just walk down the familiar floors passing from the enforcement area into the circling boundaries of security.

She’d passed through the first scan gate before she realized it, her body jerking in reaction at the tickle then relaxing as only a sedate bong reacted to her presence. “Guess he was right.” She muttered.

“Pardon?” The bio alt asked.

Jess looked at her. She was relatively short, her head only reaching to Jess’s shoulder, and she had a slim body presently encased in a green tech jumpsuit. “Talking to myself.” She said. “That scanner we just passed could have boiled my brain.”

Dev looked behind them, a startled expression on her face. “Oh.”

Jess paused as they reached the security center. “Sorry.” She eyed the bio alt. “My name’s Jess.” She extended a hand. “I won’t say welcome. You probably don’t really want to be here.”

Dev reached over and took the offered hand, closing her fingers around Jess’s and giving them a firm pressure. “Thank you.” She said. “I don’t really have much say in it.” She remarked. “But so far it’s been really interesting”

Jess cocked her head a little, not expecting so self aware a response. “Right.” She turned and keyed the door open. “Let’s see how much more interesting it’s going to be.” She walked inside the center and went to the ops desk. “Jackson.”

The security captain had straightened when she entered, and was now waiting for them, his hands resting on the desk. He was big, taller than Jess and about twice her weight, with a very muscular body and the typical security buzz cut. “Drake.”

“Bain sent me down.” Jess said, briefly. “She needs creds.” She indicated Dev. “And I guess I need reissued ones.”

“We heard.” Jackson said. “He really plug Bricker?”

“Yup.” Jess nodded.

“Good. Jackass.” Jackson turned and motioned to a sergeant. “Open up Drake’s access.” He ordered, then turned to Jess. “What level is this one?” He indicated Dev. “Staff? Support?”

“Enforcement ops tech.” Jess replied, dryly.

Jackson’s jaw dropped a little, and he stared openly at Dev. “Thought that was bullshit rumor.”

“Apparently not.” Jess said. “Since here she is.”

Jackson shook his head. “Jackass.” He muttered. “Place is going to hell.” He keyed in something, continually shaking his head as he worked. “Go stand in that.” He pointed to the genetiscan, waiting for Dev to comply before he continued coding.

Jess didn’t respond to the muttering. She nodded at the sergeant when the woman came over to her, running a hand wand over her. She held out her left hand, and the wand touched it, making her flinch a little as she felt the chips embedded there react. “Thanks.”

“Agent.” The sergeant responded. “All clear.”

Jess flexed her hand, glancing over to see Dev standing quietly in the scanner, traces blinking in the collar she wore around her neck. Their eyes met, and she managed a brief smile she hoped was reassuring.

It was something. The bio alt smiled back.

“They assigned her quarters yet?” Jackson asked. “None coded here.”

“Heading to supply next.” Jess said. “I guess they’ll do that there.” She looked up, her face going a little blank. “We’ve got plenty of space at the moment.”

Jackson nodded. “Heard that.” He said. “All right, done.” He motioned the sergeant forward. “Cred for ops.”

The sergeant went over to Dev, and scanned her. They were more or less the same height, but the sergeant had the powerful muscularity typical of security and would have had dark red curly hair if it hadn’t been horn close to her skull. “Done.” She handed Dev a set of clip on creds. “Wear that for the biology based systems. The mechanicals don’t need it.”

“Thank you.” Dev took the creds and applied them to her jumpsuit.

“Good luck.” The woman said, unexpectedly, extending a hand. “I’m Boston.”

Dev returned the shake. “Thank you.” She said, again.

The sergeant turned and made her way back behind the desk, and Jess motioned to the door. “Next.” She let Dev go ahead of her, and they exited the security center. “You can expect that kind of reaction.” Jess said, after a moments walking. “Pretty much everyone thinks your being here is asinine.”

Dev gave her a sideways look. “Do you?” She asked, in a mild tone.

Jess took a breath to answer, then paused.

“It doesn’t offend me.” Dev said. “There’s not much I can do about it since I’m here.”

Well, that was true, wasn’t it? Jess felt very off-balance. This bio alt was turning out to be more of a surprise than she needed at the moment. “I don’t know.” She finally answered. “I thought it was a bad idea when I heard about it.”

“Why?”

Why. Jess was glad to see the supply hallway at her left. She turned and swiped the door controls, leading Dev inside to the big processing center.

Here there were more bio alts. She watched them catch sight of Dev and react, then go back to their tasks, a little distracted and intrigued by the wary expressions on their faces. She stepped up to the counter, manned by an older man with a scar across his face and through one destroyed eye. “Hey Buddy.”

The man gazed gravely at her. “Jess. Welcome back.” He said. “That was the shortest outprocess in the history of Interforce, I’m guessing. I heard the Old Man himself talked you down, then blew Bricker’s head off. Been quite the morning.” He glanced to one side. “Who’s this?”

Jess nodded. “Been quite the morning.” She agreed. “This is Dev.” She said. “She’s Bricker’s experiment.” She exchanged glances with the supply master. “Bain asked me to get her kitted out. He wants to continue it, I guess.”

Dev regarded the man and noted he had a somewhat kinder eye than most she’d encountered so far in this new place. She also noted he and her escort called each other by common names, and that Jess also seemed more relaxed here.

The security place had been stern and a little hostile, even though the people there had done what they’d been asked to. “Hello.” Dev said.

“Hello, Dev.” Buddy replied. “So we need to give you all the crank you need to be a tech, huh?” He keyed in something on the console. “Sure hope they know what they’re doing.” He looked up. “Plenty of berths available., unfortunately. Preference?” He directed the question at Jess.

Jess took a mental step back and thought about the question. There were a lot of empty berths. Aside from the recent deaths, they’d already been six teams short. Dev could be given any of them, since all of the bunks were more or less the same.

She looked up and found Dev watching her. She’d known what Bricker’s intent was, and felt the truth in her own rejection of that. Nothing really had changed and yet, in the small space of the morning, everything had changed.

Had she changed? “Put her in Joshua’s berth.” She heard herself saying. “Bain asked me to get her settled.”

Buddy didn’t blink an eye. “Done.” He said. “I’ll have the bulk of it sent there.” He glanced at Dev. “Could you please go stand on that other platform there?” He pointed to the outfitting console. “Thanks.”

Dev obediently went over and stood in the box, which scanned her with a completely different type of signal. It felt a little warm, and not at all tickly and it took only a moment. Then she stepped out and returned to Jess’s side.

Buddy turned and removed a green sack, which he handed over to her. “Basics.” He said, as she took it. “Everything else will be sent. Okay?”